Cricket: NZ judge calls Indian, Australian board "colluded"

Former International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed has published a letter in which a New Zealand judge, Sir John Hansen, accused the Indian and Australian boards of colluding in a way that could have been "disastrous for cricket" at the height of the "Monkeygate" scandal.

Speed reproduced in his memoirs Sticky Wicket a letter from Sir John, who was appointed to hear Harbhajan Singh's appeal after the Indian off-spinner was accused of racially abusing Andrew Symonds during the Sydney test of January 2008.

In overturning a suspension against Harbhajan for allegedly calling Australian allrounder Symonds a "monkey," Sir John said publicly there was not enough evidence to prove the offspinner had made the remark, but was also critical of the behaviour of Symonds, whom he said unnecessarily instigated the verbal exchange.

Harbhajan was suspended by match referee Mike Procter after the second test between Australia and India in Sydney for allegedly making the remark to Symonds, Australia's only black player.

But Sir John said Symonds had challenged Harbhajan with an "unnecessary invective-laden attack" after the Indian patted Australian fast bowler Brett Lee on the behind in what he viewed as a sporting gesture.

India initially threatened to quit the triangular one-day series beginning today over the dispute.

Hansen downgraded the racism charge against Harbhajan to one of using general obscene, offensive or insulting language, overturned the suspension and fined him 50 per cent of his match fee.

According to excerpts of the memoir reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Sir John wrote in a letter to Speed after the "monkeygate scandal": "Although both boards would deny it, BCCI and CA were having discussions behind the scenes to resolve matters.

"Indeed, they presented me with an agreed statement of facts (signed by Harbhajan, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Symonds, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden and Sachin Tendulkar) and a consent order that they expected me to rubber-stamp.

"In my view the consequences of such a course of action would have been disastrous for cricket. In any event, their actions undermined the independence of the Code of Conduct Commissioner, were unbecoming, and in my view, contrary to the spirit of cricket," the letter published in Speed's book said.

Speed said the letter revealed the lengths Cricket Australia (CA) went to preserve its relationship with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and, "the willingness of (India's) administrators to use their financial muscle when national pride is at stake", according to the newspaper report.

"The agreed statement had significantly watered down the version of events that had been given previously and made no mention of the alleged racial taunt big monkey," Speed wrote in his book.

But a CA spokesman rejected Speed's claim and said it had ensured that the agreed set of facts was provided so that the judge could decide on the scandal according to appropriate judicial procedures.

"We are not about to trawl over old ground or make any further comment on the matter other than to say that CA did not at any stage agree to any lesser charge and, on the contrary, ensured that the agreed set of facts was noted in order to ensure the judge could independently assess that matter in accordance with appropriate judicial procedures."

- NZPA